BBC ‘Any Questions?’ presenter Chris Mason is frontrunner to replace Kuenssberg as political editor

BBC political correspondent Chris Mason has been named as the frontrunner to replace editor Laura Kuenssberg after the corporation re-advertised the job role.

Bosses at the British Broadcasting Corporation are said to be unhappy with the final two candidates, and instead, Mason, the presenter of Radio 4’s Any Questions? has been tipped to be a favourite after previously ruling himself out of the running.

The 41-year-old, who has worked at the BBC since 2002, has only applied in recent days, it is understood, after the job was quietly put up for grabs again, after he was ‘courted by rival broadcasters’.

The recruitment page for the job role has been reopened until Tuesday – but the BBC has not made any formal announcement that they are ‘encouraging fresh applications’. 

As reported by The Sunday Times, applicants were whittled down to ITV News’s Anushka Asthana, 42, the deputy political editor, and Sophy Ridge, 37, from Sky.

But bosses are understood to have decided against the all-female line-up, in a role which is to replace the current BBC political editor, Laura Kuenssberg.

Regarded as an ‘adept broadcaster’, with ‘sound judgement’ and ‘a flair for political analysis’ by his colleagues, Mason, who now earns less than £150,000, would see his pay rise shoot up – as Kuenssberg earned at least £260,000 last year.

Kuenssberg revealed she was stepping down as political editor five months ago, with her final assignment at the BBC set to be the local elections coverage next month. 

Bosses have previously told candidates that a replacement was expected to be appointed by February. 

Kuenssberg (pictured in 2017) revealed she was stepping down as political editor five months ago, with her final assignment at the BBC set to be the local elections coverage next month

Initially the corporation appealed for internal candidates, but then the three BBC front-runners — the deputy political editor, Vicki Young, 51, Mason and the former North America editor Jon Sopel — made it clear that they did not want the job.

Mason, who studied geography at Cambridge, took over Radio 4’s Any Questions? show, a topical discussion with a panel of people from politics and media who are posed questions by the public, in October 2019. 

After spending two decades at the BBC, Mason, who is from Grassington in north Yorkshire, has spent most of his career covering Westminster. 

Speaking with a Yorkshire accent, his appointment could combat criticisms of the broadcaster for being London-centric and not having enough regional voices. 

Mason, who studied geography at Cambridge, took over Radio 4’s Any Questions? show, a topical discussion with a panel of people from politics and media who are posed questions by the public, in October 2019. After spending two decades at the BBC, Mason, who is from Grassington in north Yorkshire, has spent most of his career covering Westminster (pictured amidst an anti-Brexit pro-Europe demonstration)

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries previously instructed the BBC to present plans to improve regional and class diversity in the corporation before agreeing the new licence fee settlement. 

Mason would likely have to stop presenting Any Questions?, it is understood, but it could later put him in good stead to take over Fiona Bruce, 57, on Question Time, The Sunday Times reported.

The ‘all-female shortlist of brilliant women’, Asthana and Ridge, may be rejected in favour of a man, said one media industry executive, according to The Guardian.

Sky has offered Ridge a new weekly evening show, The Take, in attempt to hold onto her, as she currently presents its Sunday morning political show.

Applicants were whittled down to ITV News’s Anushka Asthana, 42, left, the deputy political editor, and Sophy Ridge, 37, right, from Sky. But bosses are understood to have decided against the all-female line-up

They reported that in recent days, there had been speculation from BBC executives that they were unhappy with the hiring process and existing range of candidates.

Other candidates who applied for the job are said to include BBC’s Alex Forsyth, Daily Mirror’s Pippa Crerar, and Newsnight’s Lewis Goodall and ITV’s Paul Brand were also linked to the role at an earlier stage. 

The BBC declined to comment on an ‘ongoing recruitment process’. 

Speaking to The Sunday Times, a senior journalist revealed that senior executives Jonathan Munro, interim head of news at the BBC, and Katy Searle, its executive editor for politics, emphasised during interviews that they ‘wanted a journalist who will produce exclusives’ – but Mason is not known for big scoops.

The source said: ‘They said they wanted someone who breaks stories but I think they’ve realised they actually need a wise statesman who is good at analysing events, and Chris will do brilliantly at that.

‘This feels like a moment of self-realisation for the BBC, that they can’t be that bold. 

Another journalist who was ruled out of the top BBC role said the application process was a ‘farce’ worthy of sitcom W1A, about the public service broadcaster.